Iran deploys biometric system to control Afghan migrant influx

The Iranian government says the burden of Afghan refugees it is hosting is becoming too heavy, so it is resorting to biometrics to halt a further influx of illegal immigrants who are also said to pose a threat to national security.

Authorities say Iran currently is host to about six million forcibly displace persons from neighboring Afghanistan, and its annual spending on these immigrants has hit a whopping $10 billion a year, putting a huge strain on its resources.

In an outing, head of the Bureau for Aliens and Foreign Immigrant Affairs and Advisor to Interior Minister, Nadeh Yar-Ahmadi, said the use of biometrics will identify such immigrants and make it impossible for them to get back into the country, Kayhan reports. The measure is not limited to Afghan migrants.

According to the official, a fingerprint, face and iris biometrics system has been deployed along the borders with Afghanistan to catch all illegal immigrant trying to re-enter the country. In 2020, the country deployed a smart biometric surveillance system to check illegal immigrants along its Southern border.

This biometric measure is in addition to other steps which have been put in place by the Iranian government such as the building of a wall along the eastern border with Afghanistan, the outlet quotes Yar-Ahmadi as saying.

This development follows a recent criticism of the international community over the refugee crisis faced by Iran. The country’s Ambassador to the UN, Amir Saeid Iravani, said during a UN Security Council meeting that they had been abandoned to their fate in handling the forced displacements stemming from the political instability across the border.

Iran says the numbers are so many that its infrastructure cannot support a further intake, which means stricter controls at the border.

Iran has been deploying biometrics for other purposes such as identifying women who do not wear hijabs, a compulsory face covering for women.

Article Topics

biometric identification  |  biometrics  |  border management  |  border security  |  Iran  |  multimodal biometrics